About Us
Our Mission
At The Yellow Wood Project, we work to understand how children and young people develop, form relationships and navigate sexuality in an increasingly digital world, and how we can create safer routes through it.
The internet has transformed where young people learn about sex, relationships, identity and connection. It has also opened new pathways to harmful content, unhealthy norms, and behaviours that can hurt themselves or others. Yet we still know too little about how these experiences shape development, or where prevention and early intervention can make the greatest difference.
We map these pathways, identify opportunities for prevention, and conduct research to develop evidence-informed approaches that support healthy sexual and social development.
Our approach is curious and non-stigmatising. We believe prevention works best when we understand people and their environments, not just the behaviours we want to change. We aim to reach young people early, including those struggling with harmful content, behaviours or sexual thoughts, before problems escalate and while there is still the chance to choose a different path.
Childhood and adolescence are complex enough without the added challenges of the modern internet. Our role is to map this changing landscape, understand where the risks and opportunities lie, and help young people find safer, happier ways through it.
Our Approach
Effective prevention starts with understanding.
Behaviour does not happen in isolation. To understand why something happens, and how it might change, we look at who is involved, what is happening, and the wider social, technological and environmental factors that shape it.
Our work is grounded in behavioural science. We use established frameworks to understand the drivers and barriers behind behaviour. We combine primary and secondary research with systems mapping and thematic analysis to explore the pathways, contexts and mechanisms involved. We then use these insights to identify opportunities for prevention, and to develop interventions that target the factors most likely to make a difference.
Thinking in systems
We view online harms through a public health lens. They affect children’s and young people’s mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing, and they are shaped by the environments in which young people grow up.
This means looking beyond individual behaviour. Policy and regulation matter, but lasting prevention also depends on the wider system: families, peers, schools, technology platforms, online communities, social norms, and the commercial and cultural spaces where young people spend their time.
From insight to intervention
Our research develops in phases, each building on what we learn.
- Foundational research establishes what we know, identifies gaps in the evidence and maps the wider system.
- Pilot research explores lived experience, tests emerging hypotheses, and explores the utility and feasibility of different approaches.
- Large-scale research investigates patterns at scale and builds a stronger evidence base for intervention.
Across every phase, our aim is the same: to understand the pathways that lead towards and away from harm, which young people need support, identify where change is possible, and turn insight into practical prevention. We are currently in our foundational and pilot phases.
Our Core Values
Safety
Protecting people is our number one priority.
Empathy
We believe understanding others' perspectives is crucial to solving problems.
Collaboration
Cooperation between organisations and individuals will help us reach our collective goal.
Innovation
Complex problems often need creative solutions.
Integrity
We behave honestly and ethically in our work, guided by strong moral principles.